ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Minnesota State University Mavericks held the Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team to a 31-percent shooting night to claim a 71-49 victory over the Bearcats at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Civic Arena.
Northwest Missouri State started the first half with an aggressive offensive push, opening with an 8-0 run led by
Presley Ibeh, who contributed a tip-in and two quick 3-pointers, one assisted by
Royce Williams and the other by
Jack Ratigan. Despite the early momentum, the Mavericks responded, cutting the deficit and eventually taking the lead midway through the half. Notably, the previous six meetings between these teams had occurred in the NCAA Div. II men's basketball tournament, adding a layer of competitive history to the encounter.
Northwest Missouri State maintained their competitiveness with Williams hitting a 3-pointer at 9:59 and later converting on a fast-break layup at 15:23. The half concluded with Northwest Missouri State trailing 39-33, as the Mavericks ended with a slight edge.
In the second half, Northwest Missouri State struggled to maintain momentum against the Mavericks' defense, resulting in a challenging stretch.
Trey Moala made an early contribution by converting a pair of free throws at 19:15, but the team encountered difficulties in the paint, managing only 8 points.
Aiden Gair provided a spark with a 3-pointer at 15:36, narrowing the gap momentarily, yet turnovers hindered further progress. Despite strong efforts from players like Ibeh and Robert Garcia, Northwest Missouri State scored 16 points in the half, closing it with a 71-49 deficit.
Ibeh led the team with 14 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field, and added two steals. Williams contributed 11 points and secured five rebounds. Gair dished out four assists while finishing with six points. Ratigan collected a team-high seven rebounds and added two assists.
In their next game, Northwest Missouri State will face Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday at 7 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo., in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic.